Trail Blazers-Thunder Preview

By KEVIN CHROUSTPosted Jan 21 2014 1:35AM

With first place in the Northwest Division on the line, the Portland Trail Blazers might be running into Kevin Durant at the wrong time.

Riding seven straight 30-point efforts from the NBA's leading scorer, the Oklahoma City Thunder will try to take sole possession of the division lead when they host the Blazers on Tuesday night.

Durant had 30 points, nine assists and six rebounds on Sunday in a 108-93 home win over Sacramento, a modest encore to Friday's career-high 54-point performance against Golden State. He's averaged 38.3 points since Jan. 7, leading to talk of Durant winning his first MVP after finishing second the past two seasons.

"It's premature," Durant said. "It's way too early in the season. I try not to think about that type of stuff. Of course, as a player, you'd love to win an MVP award, but I can't take my focus off the team."

He's backed up that sentiment with his play. Aside from scoring, he's averaging 6.3 assists over his last nine games - 1.5 more than he dished out in his first 32.

Durant has also shot 103 free throws in the last two weeks - 20 more than anyone else in the league.

"I'm being more comfortable trying to do different things," Durant said. "Whether it's scoring, whether it's rebounding, being a facilitator - I'm just going out there and really just having fun, to be honest."

After going 5-5 in their first 10 games without Russell Westbrook, the Thunder (31-10) have won three straight, though they're yet to enjoy any success this season against the Blazers (31-10).

Despite Durant's 35.0 points per game in two meetings, Portland has won both after Oklahoma City won the previous seven.

While Durant leads the league with 30.6 points per game, the Blazers are leading the way as a team at 109.6. That didn't help them Monday in a 126-113 loss at Houston that snapped a five-game winning streak.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and 20 rebounds while Damian Lillard scored 24, but the Rockets shot 52.3 percent and drained 16 3-pointers after scoring on their first 11 possessions.

"The disappointing thing from a defense standpoint is you know going into it that you have to limit their transition, you have to limit their 3s and we didn't do a good job of that or they did a good job, however you want to look at it," Portland coach Terry Stotts told the team's official website.

Aldridge is averaging 27.2 points and 15.2 rebounds in his last five games. In the two wins against the Thunder this season, he averaged 31.5 points and 13.5 boards.

His big rebounding night against the Rockets wasn't mirrored by his teammates as the Blazers were edged 52-37 on the glass. The Blazers (46.7 rebounds per game) now face the only team in the league ahead of them in that category (46.8).

"We've got to go in hungry and focus on being better than we were tonight," Aldridge said. "We've got to be better defensively and definitely have to start the game better."

Despite the loss to Houston, the Blazers went 2-1 on the Texas portion of their four-game road trip. Now they'll head to Oklahoma City, where the Thunder's 18-3 home record is tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for best in the Western Conference.

Portland, which won 98-94 at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Dec. 31, will try to become the first team to win twice in Oklahoma City since Dallas early in the 2010-11 season.

While the Thunder will be without Westbrook, the Blazers could be missing Nicolas Batum. Portland's starting small forward left Monday's game after aggravating a broken finger and didn't know if he would play.

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Durant scores 46, leads Thunder past Trail Blazers

By CLIFF BRUNTPosted Jan 22 2014 12:06AM

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Portland Trail Blazers braced themselves for a late onslaught from Kevin Durant. They still failed to stop him.

The 6-foot-9 forward scored 11 of his 46 points in the final 3:23 to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Trail Blazers 105-97 on Tuesday night.

"When the basket is an ocean, you can't really do much about it," Portland guard Wesley Matthews said. "He's been on a roll."

Durant has scored at least 30 points for eight consecutive games, the longest such streak of his career. He made 17 of 25 field goals, including 6 of 7 3-pointers.

"He did what he's been doing the last two weeks," Portland guard Damian Lillard said. "You look up, he's hitting 50 and 45 and 50 again and 40 and up. We knew coming in that he's been shooting the ball well."

Reggie Jackson added 15 points for Oklahoma City (32-10), which took a one-game lead over Portland in the Northwest Division. Oklahoma City improved to 9-5 since point guard Russell Westbrook was taken out of the lineup after having surgery on his right knee.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 29 points and 16 rebounds, but he went 1-for-8 from the field in the fourth quarter. Durant said Aldridge's late struggles might have been a combination good defense by Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka and the Trail Blazers being worn out from their loss to Houston the night before.

"Perk and Serge did a great job early on contesting LaMarcus' jump shot, but he's a great player and he was knocking them down," Durant said. "In the fourth quarter, of course, after playing last night, he's a little tired. We forced him all the way out close to the 3-point line and made him shoot some tough ones and we were able to rebound and hit shots on the other end."

Matthews added 21 points for Portland (31-11), which lost its last two games of a four-game road trip.

"Pissed," Matthews said. "We're not happy. Last year we were happy coming off a road trip at .500. We're not that team any more. We didn't come out with the right energy and the right mentality against Houston and they were ready for us. We came out with the right mentality early in this game and KD had a hell of a fourth quarter, so it's bitter."

Oklahoma City held Lillard to 14 points, well below his average of 21.4 points per game.

Portland led 93-90 when Durant was called for an offensive foul. Durant was unhappy after the call, and after Perkins was called for a foul, Durant, still frustrated, hit the scorer's table and was issued a technical foul. Portland made two of the three free throws to go up by five. A fired-up Durant responded with a layup, then a 3-pointer to tie the score with 2:52 remaining.

"It was really a stupid, stupid reaction by me," Durant said. "I could have hurt my team really badly. I was just more frustrated with myself, turning the ball over. I can't hurt my team like that. This time, it went in our direction. Next time, I've got to be smarter."

Durant seemed to reach another gear after the technical, though. He hit a 3 with 48 seconds left to give the Thunder a 102-95 lead, then another with 26.8 seconds remaining to ice the game.

Portland led 48-40 late in the second quarter before Durant sparked a rally with a 3-pointer. The Thunder took the lead with 8.3 seconds left in the first half on a jumper by Thabo Sefolosha, but Lillard responded with a layup with 0.2 seconds left to give the Trail Blazers a 52-51 lead at the break. Portland shot 57 percent in the first half. Durant scored 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting in the first half, but his teammates shot 13 for 38.

Durant's jumper early in the second half finally gave the Thunder the lead, but the Trail Blazers handled the surge. A 3-pointer by Nicolas Batum and a bucket from Aldridge gave Portland a 67-62 lead and caused Oklahoma City to call a timeout.

The Trail Blazers extended their lead to 75-66, but again, the Thunder closed out a quarter strong. Oklahoma City held Portland scoreless for the last 2:35 of the period. Durant hit a 3-pointer to close the quarter and give the Thunder a 77-75 lead.

Portland made just one field goal in the final 3:45.

"Total team effort," Durant said. "We didn't get discouraged after they hit tough shots and we missed shots, and we got a good win."

The Thunder play at San Antonio on Wednesday night with the top record in the Western Conference on the line.

"We know how tough it is to win there," Durant said. "We know how tough that team is. You've just got to come prepared and with a lot of energy. I think our group is ready to come out there and play our game, and we'll see what happens."

NOTES: Thunder coach Scott Brooks said he plans to vote for Lillard as an All-Star. ... Batum had been playing with a broken left middle finger. He aggravated the injury to his non-shooting hand on Monday night against Houston, but played through it. ... Portland scored the first seven points of the game. ... Durant scored 15 in the first quarter. ... Portland shot 59 percent in the first quarter to take a 27-21 lead. ... Aldridge became the first NBA player with at least 11 field goals and 12 rebounds in five straight games Antonio McDyess did it from Jan. 3-10, 2001.

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Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP .

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Notebook: Thunder 105, Trail Blazers 97

THE FACT: Kevin Durant sets a personal best with his eighth straight game with 30 or more points.

THE LEAD: Thunder superstar Kevin Durant is in a zone like few others. Durant hit three 3-pointers in the last three minutes and finished with a game-high 46 points to lead Oklahoma City to a thrilling 105-97 come-from-behind win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Thunder (32-10) defense shut down Portland (31-11), giving up just two baskets in the last 6:30 of the game.

Durant's first three in the closing minutes tied the game at 95 and the last of that stretch sealed the deal, putting the Thunder up by seven with less than a minute to play.

He finished a remarkable 17-for-25 (6-for-7 on 3-pointers). Durant's game overshadowed another huge night for Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge, who finished with 29 points and 16 rebounds. The Trail Blazers had four other players in double figures, with Wesley Matthews scoring 21 and Damian Lillard finishing with 14.

The Thunder had three other players score in double figures -- Reggie Jackson finished with 15 points and Derek Fisher and Serge Ibaka added 10. Ibaka also had five blocks, two on consecutive shots in the last two minutes of the game.

Thunder center Kendrick Perkins also blocked a shot in that sequence and then went down and hit a rare 14-foot jumper with the game on the line to give OKC some breathing room late.

QUOTABLE: "I heard people yell 'no' when he shot it, but I'll ride with Perk till the wheels fall off."-- Kevin Durant on Perkins' basket with 1:36 left

QUOTABLE II: "I thought Perk was really good tonight. He hit that big shot and played great defense on Aldridge in the fourth quarter and whaddya say about KD? We're seeing an amazing player develop before our eyes. He's an amazing young man who cares about doing the right thing. Just a great player. I love the guy."-- Thunder head coach Scott Brooks

QUOTABLE III: "MVP performance. To score 46 points on 25 shots, six of seven on 3s and I think he got a couple of his shots blocked. It was a remarkable performance. He made shots when they mattered. He took what was there and he made some great shots."--Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts

THE STAT: After allowing the Blazers to shoot 57.1 percent in the first half, the Thunder locked down on defense and turned things around in the second half. Portland shot just 36.4 percent in the last 24 minutes and just 33.3 percent in the fourth quarter. At the same time, the Thunder offense kicked it in high gear shooting 55.3 percent in the second half and sizzling 68.8 percent in the fourth quarter.

TURNING POINT: The Thunder waited till the end to turn things around, going on a 15-2 run to close out the game. The run began with the Thunder trailing 95-90 with 3:45 to go. The Blazers didn't score another point until just 26.8 seconds were left. Oklahoma City blocked three shots in the span of four seconds when they were leading by just two to maintain the lead.

HOT: Portland shot 59.1 percent in the first quarter. ... Aldridge was 5-for-8 (10 points). ... Durant was 6-for-8 (15 points) in the first quarter. ...B y halftime the Trail Blazers were still shooting 57.1 percent. ... OKC had 10 offensive rebounds in the first half. ... Durant was 9-for-14 (26 points) in the second half.

NOT: The Thunder missed their first five shots and seven of their first eight. ... OKC finished the first quarter at 38.1 percent (8-for-21). ... Ibaka was 1-for-7 (two points) in the first quarter. ... Aldridge was 1-for-8 (six points) in the fourth quarter.

GOOD MOVE: Both teams came into the game realizing it would likely be a tight fit one way or the other so protecting the basketball was a key for both coaches. In the first half the Thunder had just two turnovers and the Blazers just four.

BAD MOVE: In the closing seconds of the first half Thabo Sefolosha took and hit an open shot to give the Thunder a one-point lead but there were still 8.3 seconds left and OKC could not stop Lillard from going all the way back down the court to hit a shot at the buzzer and give the lead back to Portland.

NOTABLE: Durant now has the NBA's top four highest scoring games this season: 54, 48, 48 and 46 points and all four of those efforts have come in the last 10 games. ... Kevin Durant has now scored 383 total points in his last 10 games. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the last player to score at least that many points over a 10 game stretch during a single season was Kobe Bryant in March/April of 2007.